It's been a month now since I started taking running more seriously, in addition to my yoga practice, and I have well and truly been converted.
I always hated running. I would run out of breath after only a couple of metres, my knees and ankles would hurt, my face would be the colour of a seriously over-ripe tomato and honestly, I thought it was boring. Really boring.
But not anymore.
I look forward to getting up at 5.30am and getting out there! I know it's winter but it's an Australian winter. Seriously, not that cold (correction: anything south of Sydney is colder!). Plus I heat up in only a couple of minutes with a brisk 5 minute walk as a warm up. I think it's actually much easier to run when it's colder.
I got into running very slowly. I always tried to do too much from the start and that's what stopped me from continuing. I also have an ankle/knee condition which can be a real bitch. After speaking to the right people, I realised I needed to "just do it" to make them stronger, and start from the beginning by taking it slow.
When I started going to Boot Camp and having a personal trainer (6 months ago), we would do short bursts of running and gradually make it longer each time. The build up is what made me believe I could be a runner.
Breathing while running has also been interesting. I notice that when my mind wanders, I forget to breathe and that effects my run. Much like in yoga. I kick in my yogic breathing and it makes all the difference. Deep regulated breathing brings in the oxygen, and focus, that my body needs to keep going.
Here is a list of some of the amazing runners I love to follow, read and be inspired by. These guys in particular have helped me get to this point, both directly and indirectly:
And how can I forget to mention
Robert Ullrey's Couch to 5km (C25km) podcasts. I strongly recommend this program to help anyone become a runner. I still listen to it when I need the extra motivation and don't want to be my own DJ.
Running + yoga = marriage made in heaven, any heaven. Bliss.
